Textbook buying thread?

[blueerica]

Where did it go? I've been searching and searching... And I'm starting to question whether the thread existed. Of course, I have a feeling I was in the middle of Fall Semester Mania when the thread was posted...

Anyone have a clue where it is? I'm looking to buy my textbooks and thought there were some new links in there that I was interested in.

[BarTopDancer]

I think it was in the SOooooo thread.

Go make friends with Amazon and half.com. You need the ISBN numbers from the books from school though.

Barnes n Nobel isn't super cheap but it can be cheaper than the school bookstore.

[blueerica]

I am sooo bummed. Bookstore prices are reaching past $700 this semester, almost as much as the tuition itself for CSULB! ;)

[Prudence]

I do B&N when I can - prices are significantly lower than the school bookstore and it's free shipping. Sometimes I also check out publisher websites - sometimes they're the best deal. For new, that is.

[BarTopDancer]

I am sooo bummed. Bookstore prices are reaching past $700 this semester, almost as much as the tuition itself for CSULB! ;)

You can do better than that. Go to school, find your books. Write down the ISBN numbers. Go home, go on to half, amazon and bn. Even with shipping (usually less than $5 a book) you should be able to save a few hundred.

[blueerica]

I was actually able to get the ISBN numbers online - woooo! But, what I'm wondering is - will there be any problems with certain books that require online access. I know me, I barely use the books to begin with - I hardly know why I buy them...

And, often times older editions have the same material inside, just arranged slightly differently. Any opinions on that? Because if I get one that's a year older - Let's say - more than significant savings...

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I've always looked on Ebay and half.com. I found quite a few books when I went to school years ago.

Good luck!

[BarTopDancer]

I was actually able to get the ISBN numbers online - woooo! But, what I'm wondering is - will there be any problems with certain books that require online access. I know me, I barely use the books to begin with - I hardly know why I buy them...

And, often times older editions have the same material inside, just arranged slightly differently. Any opinions on that? Because if I get one that's a year older - Let's say - more than significant savings...

Licenses may be expired. Buying books with software can be risky but it's also a crap-shoot as to if the teacher is going to use the software to begin with.

[Alex]

My recommendation is always to wait and see if the books are truly needed rather than just buying them because they're on the syllabus.

My policy in college (both undergrad and grad) was to not buy the book until I ran into something I couldn't do without it. By doing that I ended up only buying about have of the books that were "required" and way less than that of the ones that were "optional."

I'm sure it varies by discipline, though. (Humanities I bought more books but they were also cheaper; sciences and math I rarely bought the book and I could generally find someone willing to let me photocopy the homework problems at the end of the chapter and then there were plenty of cheaper resources available for learning the stuff necessary for the homework not that I ever actually did the homework).

My experience is that 95% of what you need to know for tests will be covered in lecture so if you pay proper attention there you'll be ok.

[RStar]

My daugter first checks for used at the bookstore (and those are getting hard to come by because they manage to make a small change in the book and call it new) and the she gets the rest used on eBay at about 75% off.

[Kevy Baby]

I say steal 'em.

[blueerica]

Sadly, even when I buy the books, I rarely read them. As much as I love books, I am more of an experiential learner. I need it applied, at least in my mind, which makes lectures better. I tend to use books as a last minute crutch - so it means I open the text around 4 times a year. I need to figure out how much homework is from the texts.

At any rate, I decided to take Alex's route to textbook success, even before he wrote it up. I'm just rarely in such a bind that I have to decide what to do about books. Not to mention I'm taking a much heavier class-load. /faints

[BarTopDancer]

And this will be the semester that you need every book for every class :p

[Morrigoon]

ASK your professors. Some of them will be honest about which you actually need. Of course, if your prof is the author of any of the books, it will be "essential" in order to pass the class ;)

[blueerica]

One is the author, unfortunately. And I know I can only get it new. bastard. 120 beans for that one. :(

[bewitched]

One is the author, unfortunately. And I know I can only get it new. bastard. 120 beans for that one. :(

Which really makes no sense...I mean, if he's teaching the class, isn't he bestowing his knowledge on you anyway?


Bastard.


Occasionally, you can go to the publisher's website and see the changes made from one edition to the other, so you can save money buying the old edition.